MS: "Xbox 360 is the hands-down leader in online gaming"
Company says that survey published last week failed to take usage into account
Microsoft has responded to a report that claimed to show the PlayStation 3 has a higher percentage of connected users than the Xbox 360, saying that it misled by not taking into account pricing models or the services being used.
"What's important to keep in mind is the level of activity over an online service, especially when comparing a no-cost service (PlayStation Network) to a subscription-based service like Xbox Live," a Microsoft spokesperson told Eurogamer.
"When it comes to total entertainment experiences and value, Xbox 360 continues to lead the change," they added, citing figures from NPD Group's Online Gaming 2010 Report that show how gamers are using the services.
"Xbox 360 is the hands-down leader in online gaming, with 48 percent of all online gamers using Xbox 360 and Xbox Live to connect with friends, family and competitors. "This study also says that our members take full advantage of the immersive entertainment experiences over Xbox Live, logging the most hours of online play per week (7.3 hours/week) - that's more than PC gaming (6.6 hours/week) and our competition," they said.
The report from The Diffusion Group published last week concluded that PlayStation 3 owners were most likely to use their console online, with 78 per cent of them saying that they were connected, compared to 73 per cent of Xbox 360 owners and 54 per cent of Wii owners.